How to Stick to Your Health and Fitness Goals During Ramadan

Whether you indulged a little too much on your summer vacation or are on the lookout for snacks that won’t wreak havoc on your waistline, Goodness is here to help. From vegan ice cream to guilt-free chips and bars bursting with goodness, our round-up of the best healthy snacks in Dubai details the super treats you need to keep in your bottom drawer.

N Bars

After 15 years of climbing the corporate ladder, Nisha Primlani decided to take a break and focus on herself. For years, she looked for healthy energy bars that were flavorful and not packed full of sugar, but had no luck. That’s when she decided to make her own and what led to the creation of N Bars. Using only the cleanest ingredients, each bar (there are six flavors to choose from) is handmade and contains rolled oats, sesame butter, pink Himalayan salt, and puffed rice. These are then combined with one nut, one seed, and one fruit, depending on the flavor. There are unique and mouth-watering combinations like the ‘Native’ (cashew, fig, and pumpkin seed) and the ‘Ndica’ (almond, mango, and chia seed). The ‘Narang’ (cocoa, orange, and hazelnut) is this editor’s personal favorite and satisfies those chocolate cravings in seconds.

Photo: Courtesy of @Nbars_Dubai

Detox Delight

Aside from offering amazing, healthy meal plans, Dubai-born Detox Delight now serves up an array of snacks so tasty that you won’t believe they’re good for you too. Everything is 100 percent natural, organic, vegan, and gluten free – and there’s something on the menu to satisfy every craving. Savory options include crispy kale chips, spicy crackers made with flax seeds, and veggie chips made using sweet potatoes, parsnips, zucchini, and beetroot. Those with a sweet tooth will love the ‘Coco Choco Crisps’, ‘Apple Cinnamon Crackers’, and ‘Crunchy Granola’ bites. The mini chocolate muffins are sumptuously sweet and squidgy, while the ‘Ice Pops’ are perfect for the hot summer. Coming in at under 30 calories per pop, they’re the ideal sweet, refreshing snack that’s also beach-body friendly.

Photo: Courtesy of Detox Delight

Coco Yogo

Turner Francis launched Coco Yogo after she got fed up with the lack of delicious dairy- and gluten-free treats available in Dubai. Celebrating her Caribbean roots, she turned to the mighty coconut to make delicious, nutritious, and vegan goodies that shun the bad stuff and are full of healthy goodness and flavor instead. The menu boasts everything from coconut yogurts and ice creams to cheesecakes (the new chocolate with salted-caramel flavor will blow your mind), mini macaroons, truffles, energy balls, and sweet snacks like the ‘Awesome Rawesome Banoffee’. She has also just launched ice cream sandwiches in classic flavors like vanilla and strawberry alongside the more exotic ‘Matcha Mint Chip’ for the perfect summer cool-me-down.

Photo: Courtesy of Coco Yogo

The Snack Society

Raw chocolate fondants, Paleo raspberry cheesecake, and chocolate peanut-butter balls are just some of the divine treats created by The Snack Society – and they’re all made without dairy, gluten, refined sugar, or scary-sounding additives. These good-for-you snacks are crammed with ingredients like coconut, buckwheat, dates, honey, flax seeds, nuts, and cacao to satisfy those sugar cravings whilst injecting a burst of nutrition into your diet. Each month, founder Kamilla Omarzay changes up the menu, so there’s always something new and exciting to look forward to. Be sure to try the ‘Snickers Bites’ that put the mass-produced versions to shame. You can even order a whole cake version, which we can safely say will be demolished in minutes. But hey, it’s not bad for you, so eat away!

Photo: Courtesy of @TheSnackSociety

Sweetfix by Rita

Recipe developer Rita Soueidan honed her culinary skills at various restaurants and cafés by creating exclusive recipes for them before going on to start her own healthy snacks and treat line Sweetfix by Rita. Her own struggles with gluten and dairy intolerance, combined with a sweet tooth and passion for health, mean that she experiments with flavors and ingredients to jazz things up a bit. Whether you’re after Paleo-friendly picks or raw vegan delights, this is definitely one menu to check out. Expect delicious options like maple-roasted tarts with rosemary and walnut crusts, cherry-coconut crumbles, and cookies made with dates, cardamom, and rose – all without any gluten, dairy, or refined sugar (of course).

Photo: Courtesy of @SweetFixByRita

Wild & The Moon

Wild & The Moon doesn’t just make some of Savoir Flair’s favorite organic cold-pressed juices, but also some of our favorite nutritious snacks and smoothies. Using only organic, local, and raw ingredients, the health-food café offers savory delights like raw kale chips and veggie crackers made with seeds and spices, as well as sweet nutritious nibbles like ‘Wild Bars’ bursting with superfoods and antioxidants that do everything from boost metabolism to brighten your mood. The gluten- and sugar-free banana cake served with ‘Vanilla Cashew Dream Cream’ is just that: a dream. Sampling these snacks at one of Wild & The Moon’s cool cafés is just the cherry on top.

Photo: Courtesy of @WildAndTheMoon

Encas

Encas (meaning “snack” in French) was created by Justine Dampt,who sought to clean up her diet and lifestyle following various health complications. The beautiful bites are 100 percent free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. They’re also entirely raw and both vegan- and Paleo-friendly. Each little box is bursting with nutritious ingredients in the form of four bite-sized squares called carrés to satiate those afternoon sweet cravings. You can choose from four flavors, including ‘Beautiful Istanbul’ (rose and pistachio) and ‘Magical Bali’ (dark chocolate and coconut).

Dampt also recently launched super spreads that are perfect to slather on your favorite healthy crackers. With three flavors to choose from – the ‘Sevilla Stopover’ (almond and cinnamon), ‘Ciao Di Roma’ (hazelnut and chocolate), and the ‘Montreal Twist’ (cashew and caramel) – they’re made with only wholesome ingredients like avocado oil, maple syrup, and nuts. Yum.

Photo: Courtesy of @Encas_Sweet_Escapes

Milkbar

Milkbar not only makes some of the prettiest desserts in town, but also some of the healthiest treats. Packaged to perfection in their super cute (and seriously Instagrammable) boxes, these snacks are bursting with raw, delicious goodness. Full of natural proteins and made with nuts, dates, and boosters such as chia seeds, nut butters, cocoa powder, and oats, the bite-sized ‘Bliss Balls’ are perfect for a pick-me-up any time of day. There are seven flavors to choose from (with more to launch soon), including salted caramel or ‘Ma’amool’ with its Arabic touch of rose and pistachio.

Photo: Courtesy of @MilkBar.ae

Light Whey

Fitness fanatics and gym buffs, rejoice! You can now have your ice cream and eat it, too. Low in fat and carbs, containing zero sugar, and packed with the same amount of high-quality protein as a can of tuna (we know which one we’d rather have), Light Whey is ideal for the woman who works out but doesn’t want to deprive herself of a healthy sweet treat. With four flavors to choose from – chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and caramel – they’re perfect as a post-sweat session snack or movie-time treat. Ben & Jerry who?

Photo: Courtesy of Light Whey

Colour My Plate

Founded by Dubai-based clinical dietician Hala Barghout, who has over ten years of experience in helping people eat right, Colour My Plate brings you decadent healthy treats that you can enjoy sans guilt. From vegan to Paleo and dairy-free to low-carb, all the delicious delights have one thing in common: they contain only wholesome, natural, and healthy ingredients with absolutely no bad stuff in sight. If you’re a chocoholic, you need to try the vegan chocolate-raspberry tarts. The new tahini brownies and vegan mango cupcakes are also heavenly. If a delicious little pick-me-up is what you’re after, the ‘Superfood Energy Bites’ crammed with chia seeds, homemade peanut butter, nuts, and oats are the perfect snack to keep in your bag.